When it comes to taking a trip away, whether it’s for business, a city break, or a family holiday, many of us will automatically book our usual hotel of choice without giving it much thought.

And, given that there are hundreds of different hotel chains across the UK and dozens on offer in the most popular UK destinations, it’s hardly surprising.

However, many people aren’t aware that there are better, cheaper alternatives to using a hotel that can be found across the country. And, although lots of us haven’t heard of them, serviced apartments are becoming increasingly popular.

Here, we’ve taken a look at why you should choose a serviced apartment over a hotel for your next trip away.

What’s the difference? 

Seeing as most people won’t have heard of serviced apartments, it’s probably a good idea to clear up what this actually means.

A serviced apartment is very similar to a hotel, except that you get a fully-furnished apartment rather than the one bedroom, one bathroom set up of a hotel.

Usually comprising multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and sometimes a utility room, serviced apartments often also come with a range of amenities offered by hotels, such as cleaning, wifi, maintenance teams and 24-hour concierges.

So, why should I choose one?

Better facilities 

One of the primary reasons to choose a serviced apartment over a hotel is the huge range of extra facilities on offer.

Equipped with a fully-furnished kitchen, laundry facilities, and all the mod-cons found in most homes, such as flat-screen TVs, DVD players, stereos and more, a serviced apartment offers a home from home.

According to Clarendon London, a serviced apartment provider in the city: “Most of our clients opt for serviced apartments because of the homely feel they provide, as opposed to the cut-and-paste experience of a hotel room.

With lots of facilities and bespoke interiors, the serviced apartment becomes a home from home rather than just your accommodation. You have more flexibility to work around your schedule and much more independence, meaning you can sit back and relax.” 

More space

It’s kind of a given that with an apartment you get more space than a hotel room, but this post by Johansens even suggests that the extra space could be up to 30% more.

This makes it the perfect choice for families and those travelling on business; not only does it have the facilities to maintain everyone’s stay in comfort, but you also don’t have to condense your whole family into a small space, or entertain colleagues in a cramped room.

You can eat, sleep, and relax in different areas of the apartment, meaning you’re not constantly tripping over your suitcase!

Cost 

So, with so many amenities and so much extra space, this must cost a lot more, right?

Wrong.

Serviced apartments often work out cheaper than hotels because they don’t come with some of the facilities of hotels, such as on-site restaurants and room service, meaning providers can reduce the costs.

And, because payment is charged per apartment and not per person, you can easily share the space with multiple people and split the cost with friends, family or colleagues.